Rack for holding boots or shoes



(No Model.)

S. L. SAUNDERS. RAOKFOR HOLDING BOOTS 0R SHOES.

Patented Jan. 25, 1898.

\I 1- r, 4 J2 ,SanzuellllSaundcraj NITED Sarss a'rnr union.

SAMUEL L. SAUNDERS, OF LYNN,MASSACHUSETTS.

RACK FOR HOLDING BOOTS OR SHOES.

S?ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,862, dated January25, 1898.

Application filed July 1,1897. Serial No. 643,147. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern;-

Beit known that I, SAMUEL L. SAUNDERS, of Lynn, in the county of Essexand State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Racks forHolding Boots or Shoes, of which the following description, inconnection With the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a device for holding boots and shoes whileundergoing the various processes of manufacture; and it has for itsobject the improvement of that class of racks forming the subject-matterof United States Patent No. 4%,439, granted to me November 11, 1890.

It is necessary to provide means for supporting the boots and shoesseparately, so as to avoid crushing or inarring them and to preservetheir shape, and in the patent referred to two oppositely-extendedseries of pins are rigidly secured to inclined supportin g-bars arrangedside by side, the pins being arranged in pairs and outwardly converging.The inclination of the pins is regulated by the size of the boots orshoes to be held thereby, so that each rack is adapted to a certainsize. In order to accommodate the two opposite se ries of pins on thebars, the width of the rack is considerable, and as large numbers ofracks are required in a factory much valuable floorspace is thusoccupied which could be utilized otherwise to better advantage.

In my present invention I have materially decreased the width of therack without impairing its holding capacity, and I have also mounted theholding-pins in a yielding manner, so that they can be readily adjustedto accommodate boots and shoes of various sizes.

The novel features of my invention will be hereinafter fully described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sufficient portion of a rack to beunderstood, with my present invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the rack shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial top or planview of the rack; and Fig. i is an enlarged detail, partially insection, to show more clearly the manner in which I prefer to secure thepins to their support.

The skeleton frame may be composed of a base A, vertical end standards13, and stayrods 6, substantially as in the patent referred to, thestandards being connected by crossrods I3, which, as herein shown, areextended through inclined holes in the ends of superposed longitudinalsupportiug-bars D.

As clearly shown, the supporting-bars D are staggered and preferablyslightly inclined to give the desirable slight upward inclination to thesh0e-holding members.

The shoe-holding members are shown as pins (Z, preferably of wood orother suitable material, yieldingly mounted on the supporting-bars andarranged in outwardly-converging pairs, the shoesbeing supported bot-tomupward on the pins, with their tops extended down between and below thepins, as shown, one shoe to each pair of pins. As in the pat cntreferred to, the outer ends of the pins bear against the heel portion ofthe shoe, conforming to and supporting the natural form of the shoe andpreventing the shoe from being dislodged by movement of the rack. Theinner ends of the shoe-holdin g members are located below the top oftheir supporting-bar, so that the shoes rest on the top of the bar backof their tips, thereby preventing any chafing or scratching of the tips.

The holding members extend only from one side of the supporting-bar, andthe members on one bar extend oppositely from those on the next adjacentbar, so that by the staggered arrangement of the supportingbars I amenabled to greatly reduce the width ofthe rack, and thus economizefloor-space without decreasing the capacity of a given rack.

The supporting-bars are placed as close together vertically as may beconvenient or desirable.

It is highly desirable to vary the angle between each pair of pins toadapt the rack readily to different forms and sizes of shoes to be held,and this I accomplish by yieldingly mounting the pins on the supportingbars.

I have shown in detail in Fig. at one convenient and effective mode ofmounting the pins. Holes are made in the supporting-bar in convergingpairs, and into the holes are forced studs f, of stout wire, projectingfrom the side of the bar from which the pins are to extend, the otherends of the studs being bent over at f and driven into the material ofthe bar. The pins d are longitudinally drilled to receive the studs, thepins being pushed thereonto and being held friotionally, the pinspartaking of the initial inclination of the studs. By bending the pinsto right or left the inclination is changed to adjust them to the sizeand form of shoe to be held thereby, and when a pin becomes splinteredor broken it can be drawn off its stud and a new one substituted. Theyielding connection of the holding-pins with the supportingbar alsoenables the elevation of the pins to be regulated as desired.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and relativearrangement herein shown, nor to the yielding connection shown betweenthe supportingbar and shoeholding members.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A rack for holding boots and shoes, comprising a frame, a pluralityof longitudinallyextended supporting-bars, and a series of pins mountedon each bar and independently adjustable and arranged inoutwardly-converging pairs, the pins on one bar extending oppositely tothe pins on the next adjacent bar, substantially as described.

2. A rack for holding boots and shoes, comprising a frame, a pluralityof longitudinallyextended superposed and staggered supporting-bars, anda series of yieldingly-mounted pins on opposite sides of adjacent barsand arranged in outwardly-converging pairs, sub stantially as described.7

3. A rack forholding boots and shoes, comprising a frame, a plurality oflongitudinallyextended superposed supporting bars arranged in staggeredorder, and a series of independently-adjustable pins extended laterallyfrom said bars in outwardly-converging pairs, to receive between themthe upper of the shoe, the pins 011 one bar extending in the oppositedirection to those on the next bar, substantially as described.

4. A rack for holding boots and shoes, comprising an open frame, aplurality of longitudinally extended supporting-bars, yielding studsrigidly secured to said bars and projecting outwardly therefrom, andremovable shoe-holding members mounted on said studs, substantially asdescribed.

5. A rack for holding boots and shoes, comprising a frame, a pluralityof superposed and staggered supporting-bars, and a series ofyieldingly-mounted shoe-holding members extended from opposite sides ofadjacent supporting-bars, the inner-ends of the holding members beinglocated below the top of the bar upon which they are mounted,substantially as described.

. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL L. SAUNDERS.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN C. EDWARDS, AUGUSTA E. DEAN.

